Dormitorio's pain caught on video at hazing suspects’ room

Days before he died of injuries caused by hazing, Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio sent a love message to his girlfriend on video.

“Alam na nating mangyayari ito e, kaya survive na lang. Mahal na mahal kita. Sana, tayo pa din kapag graduate,” Dormitorio said.

It was a heartfelt statement somehow upset by the fact that it was taken in the room of two of his suspected tormentors inside the Philippine Military Academy.

According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho", the video was taken on September 12 inside the room of Cadets 3rd Class Shalimar Imperial and Felix Lumbag, the two cadets who were first implicated in Dormitorio's death.

In the video, there were two cadets who were apparently at ease while Dormitorio seemed to struggle to open his mouth to speak.

With what appeared to be a swollen right cheek and in obvious pain,  Dormitorio was still ordered to sing.

"Uy, 'yung boses ko pala iba na," Dormitorio said on the video.

"'Wag kang ma-shock, ngipin ko kasi may depekto. Ipapa-checkup ko pa,” he added.

Dormitorio's brother Dexter said his voice was affected by a karate chop that he recieved in the neck.

Another video showed a weak Dormitorio struggling to exercise and to put on his socks at Imperial and Lumbag's room.

The video was taken on September 17, the day before he died.

Audio of the footage later indicated shouting and the sound of something being hit hard.

“No’ng in-endorse siya ni Sanopao, immediately after no’n merong video sina Imperial at Lumbag na ipinapakita na, ‘yun na nga, makikita na hirap na siyang gumalaw,” Dexter said.

The brother was referring to the beating that Dormitorio suffered over Cadet 1st Class Axl Rey Sanopai's missing boots after they were left to his care.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines refused to comment on the videos but said the PMA was already implement reforms.

“Let's allow PMA to heal. May mga pangako ang leadership, hindi lang naman ito pangako. There were direct actions being done," AFP spokesman Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo.

"Bigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon, bigyan natin sila ng panahon upang magawa ang mga bagay na ito,” he added. 

On Tuesday, a similar series of videos showing hazing in the PMA during 2017 and 2018 surfaced.

The Baguio City Police said it was ready to help the PMA file charges against the abusive cadets in the videos.

“We have already coordinated with authorities of Philippine Military Academy. [The] involved cadets have already been confined or isolated," Baguio City chief of police Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said.

"They're about to finish the investigation and we will just be assisting them if ever po there will be a criminal aspect to the case,” he added.

Dormitorio died on the morning of September 18 after suffering repeated instances of maltreatment at the hands of his fellow cadets. 

The PMA has said “drastic actions” are being taken against hazing within the academy. —Julia Mari Ornedo/GMA News